A Seller’s Perspective
Appraised Value vs. Realtor’s Value
Dear Phyllis, I really enjoy your column and hope you can clarify something for me. Earlier this year I refinanced my mortgage. And now my employer has offered me a promotion if I relocate out of state. I contacted the real estate agent ...
Trustee’s due diligence
Dear Phyllis, I am the trustee of my uncle’s estate and my two sisters and I are the beneficiaries. My sister works for a property management company and her boss highly recommended a very well-known local Realtor®. He is very knowled...
How to simultaneously buy and sell
Dear Phyllis, I am seeking advice on buying and selling simultaneously in this crazy market. We know we can sell our home quickly as the homes in our neighborhood immediately sell and usually over the asking price. Last month, we found a...
Preparing your home for sale
I am in the midst of preparing two listing for sale. The sellers of my La Crescenta listing have lived in the home for twenty years and their adult children need to claim their belongings from the garage. Like most listings, the landscape needs...
Lockbox Pros and Cons
Dear Phyllis, I am now the trustee of my parent’s Washington state home and am now interviewing Realtors. Because the home is vacant, one Realtor suggested a lockbox as this will make it easier to show. The other prefers that he or som...
If escrow was easy, Realtors would be out of business
If escrow was easy, Realtors would be out of business. There are a lot of pieces to listing a home. The first step is to meet with the client to determine their needs. Then I develop a plan of action: how far are we going to go in sprucing up t...
When is the buyer’s deposit at risk?
Dear Phyllis, I am helping my aunt sell her La Crescenta home so she can move closer to my sister who lives in Oregon. Her neighbor is a semi-retired Realtor® and offered to list her home for a discounted commission. Her home sold and e...
Deciphering real estate commissions
Dear Phyllis, We are going to sell our home in the fall. While this may not be ideal timing, this is what works best for us. We have talked with several agents and their real estate commissions varies from 4 ½ to 6%. Our La Crescenta ho...
